The present invention relates to a holder for fastening at least one component to a glass pane, in particular to a windscreen of a motor vehicle.
Such a holder is known from DE 102 11 444 A1. It comprises a supporting body which has a lower side and an upper side. The supporting body can be adhered to the glass pane by means of adhesion with the lower side. Holding elements to fasten the at least one component to the supporting body are arranged on the upper side.
The known holder serves to fix a light and rain sensor to the glass pane. At the same time, the known holder encloses a holding foot, with the aid of which an inner rear-view mirror of the vehicle can be fastened to the glass pane. In the case of the known holder, the supporting body is divided into several sections which are connected to one another with expansion joints. The individual expansion joints therein each extend transversely to a longitudinal direction of the supporting body. Furthermore, the respective expansion joint is formed by a slot and at least two U-shaped clips which bridge the slot. The respective slot penetrates the supporting body, whereby the individual sections are able to move relative to one another. The sections, however, remain connected to one another via the clips. Thermally-caused expansion effects can be kept in control by this segmentation of the supporting body.
A further holder, with the aid of which a light and rain sensor can be fastened to a windscreen of a motor vehicle, is known from DE 10 2004 061 361 A1.
In modern vehicles, with the aid of such a holder, in addition to a rain and light sensor into which a fogging sensor can furthermore be integrated, further components can be installed on the windscreen, such as for example a camera. Such a camera can be used for road recognition as well as for road monitoring. Likewise, it can be a night-vision camera, in particular an infra-red camera, which enables thermal recognition of obstacles in cases of reduced vision. Furthermore, stereo camera systems can also be used in which two cameras or a stereo camera with two lenses are arranged for each purpose, with the aid of which a three-dimensional image can be generated. Three-dimensional images can be used, for example, to determine distances and suchlike.
A need therefore exists for comparably large holders which must be fastened extensively to the respective glass pane and with the aid of which several, comparably heavy components can be fixed to the glass pane. Due to production tolerances, the shapes of the glass panes, in particular the radii of curvature of windscreens, vary. Likewise, production tolerances for the holders, which are preferably injection molded and made of plastic, lead to varying dimensions and shapes for the holder. Furthermore, in particular for windscreens, the problem exists that for a large holder, the curvature of the windscreen leads to a continuous supporting body having to be pressed on comparably strongly during adhesion to generate a homogeneous adhesive gap. If the contact pressure is reduced before a final setting or drying of the adhesive, the elastic restoring force contained in the supporting body exceeds the holding force of the adhesive, which impairs the connection of the holder to the glass pane.
The present invention deals with the problem of specifying an improved embodiment for a holder of the type referred to at the beginning which is differentiated in particular by the holder being able to be fastened more easily to the glass pane.
The invention is based on the general concept of separating at least one first section, which is provided to fasten at least one component, in the supporting body with the aid of two separate slots in a wide part of the remaining supporting body. Therein, the two slots which run separately, so at a distance from one another, begin at a circumferential outer edge of the supporting body and end at a connection region which is at a distance to the outer edge, so lie within the supporting body. The first section remains connected to the remaining supporting body via this connection region. The slot completely penetrates the supporting body perpendicularly to the plane of the supporting body. The supporting body has a length measured in its plane and, transversely to this, a width which is likewise measured in the supporting body plane. The two slots can extend, depending on the size of the respective first section, which for its part depends on the size of the respective component to be applied thereto, for example over at least 50% of the width of the supporting body, preferably over at least 75% of the width of the supporting body, yet not completely over the entire width of the supporting body. Thus the respective first section is largely cut free from the remaining supporting body by the slots, whereby the first section is extensively moveable with respect to the remaining supporting body, for example in order to compensate for thermally-caused movements. At the same time, the supporting body can thus better follow a curvature of the glass pane without resulting in undesirably high restoring forces. Attaching the holder to a curved glass pane, preferably to a windscreen, can thus be simplified by the slots. The slots preferably extend transversely to the supporting body longitudinal direction; they have at least one longitudinal section running transversely to the supporting body longitudinal direction.
The respective component which is installed in the respective first section can preferably be a rain sensor or a light sensor or a fogging sensor or any combination thereof. It is also conceivable to attach a night vision camera to the holder with the aid of such a first section. For example, a soldered distributor, with the aid of which solder joints forming electrical contacts of an electrical screen heater which is integrated into the glass pane can be supplied with electrical energy, can be attached to the holder with the aid of such a first section. In particular it is therefore conceivable that two or more such first sections are provided on the supporting body which are arranged moveably with respect to the remaining supporting body.
In an advantageous embodiment, the connection region can be formed by a film hinge which connects the first section moveably to the remaining supporting body. The film hinge defines a pivot axis which preferably extends in parallel to the supporting body longitudinal direction. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the connection region can be connected moveably to the first section via a first film hinge and can be connected moveably to the remaining supporting body via a second film hinge. Pivot axes, which are defined by the film hinge, expediently extend in parallel to one another, wherein the respective pivot axis furthermore runs in parallel to the supporting body plane. Furthermore, the pivot axes or the film hinges can extend in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the supporting body. With the aid of the film hinges, an improved mobility of the first section perpendicularly to the supporting body plane furthermore results with regard to the remaining supporting body. This is of particular interest in the case where the first component is a rain and light sensor which can come loose in the case of unfavorable edge conditions of the glass pane. The mobility of the first section with regard to the remaining supporting body, which is enabled with the aid of the film hinge, prevents disadvantageous interaction of the remaining components which are fixed to the glass pane via the remaining supporting body in the case of loosening of the rain and light sensor. For example, two cameras of a stereo camera system or two lenses of a stereo camera can be arranged on the remaining supporting body, wherein the respective camera system can be integrated into a security system of the vehicle, which can initiate, for example, autonomous emergency braking and/or evasion procedures. A change of position of such a camera or such a lens could lead to considerable disadvantages.
In another advantageous embodiment, a first clip can be formed at least for one of the slots on the first section which protrudes over the respective slot and ends free-standing, while a second clip is formed on the remaining supporting body which protrudes over the respective slot and ends free-standing, wherein the two clips are arranged in particular to be aligned and at a distance one above the other and next to each other and overlap each other mutually. The clips lead to a limitation of the relative movement of the first section with respect to the remaining supporting body in a direction which runs perpendicularly to the plane of the supporting body.
In an advantageous development, a second section of the supporting body which is provided to fasten at least one further component can be connected moveably to a central region of the supporting body which contains the connection region via an expansion joint. Optionally, a third section of the supporting body which is likewise provided to fasten at least one further component can furthermore be connected moveably to the central region via an expansion joint.
For example, the further components can each be a camera of a stereo camera system or a lens of a stereo camera. The two sections are connected to opposite sides of the central region, to the central region and to the first section, and indeed in the longitudinal direction of the supporting body. If, therefore, the supporting body is divided into the three sections referred to, the second section and the third section lie on the outer sides, while the first section is arranged between the two outer sections.
A development is particularly advantageous in which the respective expansion joint is formed by a slot and at least one clip which bridges the slot in an arch shape. Expediently, each expansion joint is only provided with one single clip which bridges the relevant slot over a substantial slot length, preferably over the entire slot length.
Fundamentally it is possible that the slot of the respective joint merges into a slot to separate the first section. Furthermore, the slot can run at a right angle such that it extends in sections either in parallel to the width direction or transverse direction of the supporting body or in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the supporting body. Hereby the desired mobility can be particularly favorably adapted to the curvature of the glass pane.
Further important features and advantages of the invention result from the sub-claims, from the drawings and from the relevant figure description by means of the drawings.
It is understood that the features referred to above and explained in more detail below are not only able to be used in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or alone, without leaving the scope of the present invention.
Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are depicted in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the description below, wherein the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar or functionally identical components.